Asia’s shaky food supply shudders as ‘super’ El Nino arrives

In the mist-wrapped hills of northern Thailand, where cacao trees erupt from the rich, nutrient-dense soil, three little words are spreading fear through a community of farmers. “There is no way to know for certain,” Koranut Rattanayanyong told This Week in Asia. “But it could be a total wipeout.” The weather event Koranut is dreading? A “super” El Nino. Earlier this month, the climate phenomenon officially started to form over the Pacific, with a bloom of ocean heat running 2.5 degrees Celsius.